Resilient wheel



L."P. ERB. RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1919- 1,400,274.

Patented: Dec. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- L. P. ERB.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

:APPLICATION man JULY 31.1919.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LANIOUS IP. EBB, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO HARRY G. ANDERSON, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 32,3

Application filed July 31, 1919. Serial No. 314,536.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LANIoUs P. ERB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient 'VVheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to resilient wheels, and more especially to those having hubs cushioned by pneumatic means; and the obj ect of the same is to produce a wheel of this character wherein the hub is connected with an inner rim in such manner as to permit a certain amount of relative movement between these parts, while the hub itself contains an air cushion compressible under load, the inner rim being connected with an outer rim which in turn carries the tire. Provision is made for the insertion and re moval of the pneumatic pouches, and their contained air'tubes, and for the assembly and separation otthe parts of the wheel quite easily when occasion demands.

The following specification sets forth one manner of carrying out my invention, reference being had to the drawings wherein Figure lis a side elevation of this wheel partly broken-away; V

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the union between the nipples of the two air tubes;

Fig. 4c is a detail of the intermediate web in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through one element of the inner rim, showing the connection of the pouch therewith.

The axle A has the usual spindle S and nut N, and the latter is covered by a dust cap I). If this be the driving axle, the wheel will be splined or otherwise keyed thereon and the axle will carry a brake drum B. In Fig. 2 also the letter I designates broadly the inner rim, Rthe outer rim and T the tire.

The hub is made up of three members or elements, The innermost element comprises a collar 1 from the inner end of which projects the inner hub plate 2, and this element has a sleeve 3 on which the remaining elements are strung, the sleeve rotating upon or being keyed to the spindle. This element also carries an outstanding flange 4. The intermediate hub element or collar 5 has a flange 6 at its inner end, a flange 7 at its outer end, and a wide plate or web 8 between these flanges. The outer element includes the collar 11, an outer hub plate 12, prefer ably having a flange 10 on which the dust cap D is shown as screwed, and a flange 14 standing adj aoent that numbered 7 and this element may well be screwed at 13 onto the outer end of the sleeve 3 so that when it is set up it will clamp the intermediate element against the inner element and all parts will stand as seen in Fig. 2.

Surrounding the hub and on each side of its web 8 is an air casing or pouch 15 which is split along its inner side and provided vith beads 16 adapted to be clamped together between the flanges l and 6 or 7 and 14. This pouch contains an air bag or pneumatic tube 17 of appropriate size and shape. and the two tubes have nipples 18 connected by a Y-coupling 19 which will contain the usual air valve not nec ssary to amplifv. When air under pressure is suppliel thror the coupling, both tubes are inflated withi. theirpouches as will be clear. The pouches stand on opposite sides of the web Siand between it and the inner and outer hub plates, and each pouch and its tube by preference oval in cross section, as seen in Fig. 2.

The inner rim I is made up of two members or parts 20 which are internally concave to provide seats for the pouches-and these seats have transverse ribs 22 disoosed between ribs 23 which are molded dr formed across the outer sides of the pouchs. so that the latter shall. not creep. Ihe two parts are separated or spaced slightly to produce a channel 25 within which the outer edge oil the web 8 is slidably mounted, the wcb havmg paolnng 9 to prevent rat 1 Also said web is by preference grooved around its neriphery at 26 and the groove prov l four points with depressions 27, in two of which, at 28 and 29, are fastened cables 30. one leading in one direction and the other in the other direction each quartr-ar way around the periphery of the web, as seen in Fig. 4;, and their other ends attached to the inner rim I. The purpose of these cables is to prevent'torsional movement between the hub and the inner rim, while permitting a certain relative radial movement of these parts. The member 21 of the inner rim is preferably extended as at 31 across the channel 25 and then turned outward in a flange 32, and the member 20 has an outstanding flange 33 standing parallel with the flange 32. Op-

ments and engaging eyes 36 at the outer ends of the cables so as to detachably connect the inner rim I with the hub above described.

The outer rim R is also by preference made up of two members or parts 40 and 41, these "members being separated by spacing blocks 44 and detachably connected by through bolts 45, and then carried around inside the blocks and continued in flanges 42 and 43 standing between and next adjacent the flanges 32 and 33. The inner and outer rims are then .detachably connected by through bolts 46 passed through the lapping flanges as shown. The part 40 may be shaped as seen at the left of Fig. 2 to engage thebead at one edge of the tire T, and the part 41 may carry a detachable clip 47 to engage the bead at the other edge of the tire, and if the tire be provided with beads of this kind and for this purpose it may'otherwise be of any preferred type and construction-in fact, it may be preferred to employ other means for fastening the tire on the outer rim, and it is quite possible that said rimitself'could serve as the tire in certain cases.

lVith this construction of parts, the air tubes having been inflated and a. load placed on the axle it will be clearthat the weight of the load is sustained by the tubes and pouches directly beneath the axle,and they in turn are borne downward into the seats 22 at the lower side of the inner rim members-20 and 21. The inner rim being bolted at 46 to the outer rim, the weight is therefore transferred to said outer rim and by it to whatever form of tire itcarries. If this be a driving wheel, forcible rotation of the hub is transmitted through the torsion cables to the inner rim and thence tothe outer rim and tire, and yet these cables allow a certain relative movement of the rims radially with respect tothe hub. A dust cap-5O may well cover the Y coupling 19, and when this is removed the tubes may be inflated or .deflated. In case it is necessary to substitute a new tube or pouch, the bolts 45 .oanbe taken out and the outside rim member 21 drawn outward over the outer hub plate 12, as the length of the cables 30 will permit, or the pins 35 can be drawnand the rim member 21 entirely removed. This gives ready access to the outer pouch, as the removal of the flange 14 from its position adjacent the flange 7 releases their engagement on the beads 16 of this pouch. If it be the inside pouch which needs attention, the intermediate hub member is now slippcd off the sleeve 3,and access is then had to the other pouch V which, of course, is released by a'removal embrace the outer edge of saidintermediate web, said parts having seats for the'pouches, and torsion elements secured to and partly encircling the edge of said web and also secured to the rim. i i

2. A wheel comprising a hub including inner and outer plates and an intermediate web defining two radially facing channels, yielding annular pouches therein, a r'im'in two parts connected and spaced' to slidably embrace the outer edge of said weusaid parts having seats for the pouches, the web having in its edge a groove provided with depressions at intervals, and cables partly encircling the web and housed in said groove and leading in opposite directions along said groove, each cablebeing secured atone end in one of the depressions in thegroove and at its otherend to therim.

3. In a wheel, the combination with a pair an air tube and split and'beaded alongits inner side, and a rim'havin'g seats for the outer sides of said pouches; of ahub comprising an inner collar having a flange and an axialsleeve extending'outwardly from said flange, an intermediate collarstrung on said'sleeve of the inner collar and having a central web to extend between the pouches and a flange at each side of said'w eb and an outer collar strung on and secured to said sleeve and having a flange at'its innerend, said flanges coactingin pairs to clamp the beads of the respective pouches.

4. In a' wheehthe combination with apair of annular pouches, each adapted to contain an air tube and split and beaded alongits inner side, and a rim havingseats' for the outer sides of said pouches; ofahub com.

prising an inner collar having a hub plate at its inner end, an outer collar lhavinga.

:LANIQUS of annular pouches, each adapted to "contain 7 

